Bavaria Expands Production Facility

During recent years, Bavaria Yachts has experienced incredible growth worldwide. Since commencing production in 1979, sales have increased steadily reaching 2,300 boats per year in 2002, making Bavaria the second largest manufacturer in Europe.

With this increase in sales came the requirement for more production space. Bavaria embarked on an aggressive expansion of their manufacturing capabilities. Constructing a facility with the potential to build 4,000 boats proved a challenge, particularly since the existing plant was divided by a major local road. The solution was to purchase the road from the town of Giebelstadt as well as surrounding farmlands and build a new road along the boundary fence of the now neighboring US Army helicopter base. This accomplished, work began in earnest on the most automated boat production facility anywhere in the world. Pictured above is the assembly room - just a fraction of the entire facility.

While hull and deck lamination is still done by hand, the incorporation of a chain drive mold movement system, drying ovens and molds that can be rotated on their cradles, dramatically reduced labor time. In fact, expansion from 2,300 boats per year to the projected 4,000 will incorporate the addition of only six lamination technicians. Pictured here are molds in the laminating hall.

All the cut outs for hatches and ports, the drilling and tapping for installing all the deck hardware and engine are accomplished by a robotic CNC machine taking at task that would normally take two men four hours down to a 20 minute mechanical process with increased accuracy and closer tolerances. Here the computerized milling machine works on a Bavarian middeck.

Similarly, in the assembly area, maximum automation while retaining product quality became the key to reducing production costs. Building the boats beam to beam rather than bow to stern as is normally the case allows for the incorporation of 22 stations in the assembly line. This means that the number of functions accomplished at any one station is greatly minimized allowing for fewer people to be on the boat at any one time, which in turn means less chance for installation problems due to employee overcrowding.

This beam to beam assembly also means that a Bavaria 32 and a Bavaria 49 (shown at the bottom of the photo) can be produced on the same line, if necessary, allowing for greater flexibility when one model sees increased demand. The greatly reduces order lead times.

By investing heavily in such an automated facility, Bavaria has positioned itself to remain an industry leader as it progresses into the 21^st century. But as is  the Bavaria way, they will continue to look for ways to improve production in order to produce a superior product at an extremely competitive price. German engineering, innovation and value – the Bavaria formula for success.

To the left is the area where Volvo Penta auxilliaries are assembled for installation into the Bavaria hull motor bearers. Below is the varnishing line.